Well Street Common
Well Street Common is an attractive and popular site in the south of the borough that boasts an impressive assembly of mature London Plane and Chestnut trees. The site is designated common land and is used for a variety of community events and recreational activities throughout the year.
The park was awarded a Green Flag award in 2010. The Green Flag Award Scheme recognises and rewards the best green spaces in the country. Hackney currently has twelve Green Flags - one of the highest totals in London.
May Festival
Hundreds of Hackney residents enjoyed the May Festival on Sunday 22 May. The Well Street Common User Group stage the event every year to provide a fun event that brings together the local community.
This years activities included live music from local bands and schools, a five-a-side football tournament, grass track cycle racing, craft and bric-a-brac stalls, a family dog show and a cake competition.
The Hackney Biodiversity Officer ran a stall about the wildlife on Well Street Common. Children made bat masks and learnt about where bats live in Hackney. Several volunteers also made bird and bat boxes to put up at the common, including 8 year old Kitty Jones.
Clockwise from top left: Kitty Jones making her bat box; a park ranger making a bat box; bat family
The Dog's Trust were also on site to provide dog chipping and advice. Hackney Council's Parks Service work closely with the user group and help to prepare the site by marking out football pitches for the five-a-side tournament.
Well Street Common Hedge Planting Day
Hackney Council has planted a new native hedge at Well Street Common with the help of the Well Street Common User Group. On Sunday 3 April 2011, Hackney Parks Chargehand Gardener Andy Day led a group of volunteers to plant a hawthorn hedge along the Meynell Road side of Well Street Common. The Council has also removed the old bollard fence to make the site more attractive and easier for everyone to enjoy.
The hawthorn hedge will be very valuable for wildlife as it provides food through nectar and berries, places for birds to nest, and a 'corridor' to allow wildlife to move around the park.
Hackney Parks are creating more areas for wildlife all over the borough as part of our upcoming Biodiversity Action Plan and Green Flag Management Plans. We are committed to improving all of our parks for both people and wildlife.
Well Street Common User Group
The WSCUG was formed in 2001. The group has campaigned for and successfully funded a number of improvement projects on the common such as fitness and play equipment provision and planting projects and also runs events such as the May Festival. The installation of a new drinking fountain on the Common is currently in progress.
Contact
Niul Dillon Hatcher (chair): Niuldh@aol.com
Website: www.wellstreetcommon.co.uk
Hackney parks newsletter
If you are interested in being informed of what's happening in Hackney's parks, sign up to our monthly newsletter by emailing parks@hackney.gov.uk
Page updated: 31 Jan 2012
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